Pakistan People’s Party Senator Mian Raza Rabbani Friday suggested the highest civil award for prominent short-storywriter late Saadat Hassan Manto to acknowledge his services.
“The 100th birth anniversary of Manto is being observed today. For his literary works, he had not only earned fame within Pakistan, but also in the international community,” Rabbani said, speaking on a point of order. He said, “At a time when there is chaos and polarisation in the country, besides other remedial measures, if we respect literary figures, it could help improve the situation.” Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had established Pakistan Academy of Letters that had been patronising the literary figures besides working for their promotion but currently its role is diminishing, he said and added the intellectual renaissance that had begot during Shaheed Bhutto’s period is direly needed today. Rabbani said a lot of people have been conferred awards in the past though some of them did not even deserve that distinction, but Manto has not been given any such award despite his remarkable services in literature. He requested Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari to ask the president to confer the highest civil award on the said literary figure. Later, the chair asked Leader of the House Jahangir Badar to consider the proposal and he also supported the idea.
